Capsule dispensers



United States Patent Oiitice 3,055,559 Patented Sept. 25, 1962 3,055,559 CAPSULE DISPENSERS Blaine Allison, Toledo, Ohio, assigner to Owens- IllmoxsGlass Company, a corporation of Ohio Filed Mar. 3, 1958, Ser. No. 718,723 2 Claims. (Cl. 222-242) The present invention relates to capsule dispensers and has for an important object the provision of a relatively inexpensive device attachable quite readily to conventional glass bottles and similar containers for dispensing capsules one at a time.

It is also an object of my invention to provide in a capsule dispenser a magazine positionable within the neck opening of a bottle and formed with a multiplicity of passageways or chambers which receive capsules by gravity from the bottle proper and discharge such capsules one at a time by 4gravity through a single port in a rotatable selector disk.

A further object of my invention is the provision in a capsule dispenser of the above character, a chambered magazine and selector disk, the latter formed with sealing means designed for cooperation with a closure cap in preventing the entry of outside air into a receptacle with which the magazine is assembled.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a dispenser formed in its entirety of polyethylene or some similar elastomeric material and comprising a chambered magazine adapted for frictional retention within the mouth opening of a bottle or similar container.

Other important objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

In the drawings:

FIG. l is a vertical sectional lView showing a dispenser incorporating my invention attached to the neck end of a glass container.

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the dispenser removed from the bottle or other receptacle.

FIG. 3 is a sectional elevational view showing the elements of the dispenser partially assembled.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the plane of line 4--4 of FIG. 3.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is illustrated in conjunction `with a glass bottle or jar having a reduced neck portion 11 or wall which defines the usual neck opening 12 through which capsules C or the like articles to be dispensed may be introduced into the receptacle. At the outer end of this wall `11, there is provided an annular rim 13 and just below this rim on the exterior surface is a screw thread 14 or like projection designed for holding engagement with a thread `15 or like protuberance on the skirt 16 of a closure cap 17. This cap includes the conventional panel portion 18 and depending `from this panel in proximity to the attaching skirt is a sealing rib 19 which, as will be apparent presently, constitutes part of means for sealing the receptacle against entry of outside air.

The dispenser per se preferably is formed of polyethylene or some plastic material having like characteristics. It comprises a cylinder-like magazine 2t)y formed at one end with a radially outwardly directed flange 21 which rests upon the rim `13 of the neck 11 and thereby limits the inward movement of the magazine into the neck opening 12 during the assembling operation `and in part supports the magazine. Externally of the magazine is an annular series of longitudinal ribs 22 which firmly frictionally engage the wall of the neck opening 12 and thereby effectively secure the magazine and receptacle against relative bodily movement.

This magazine 2t) is provided with an annular series of elongated passageways 23 or chambers each having its axis extending generally parallel to the coincident axes of `the magazine and neck opening. These passageways or chambers are `open at both ends to thereby provide for each chamber an inlet opening 24 at that end facing the interior of the receptacle ltl and a discharge opening 25 at the outer end which is formed with the previously mentioned radial flange 21. In the illustrated embodiment of my invention, I have shown three such passageways or chambers 23 and between pairs of such passageways open spaces 26 or recesses which are provided solely for reasons of economy and satisfactory reduction in production cost. The lower ends of these recesses are closed by a wall 27 for obvious reasons.

The magazine is formed with an axial bore 28 or opening extending its entire length, such accommodating a connector tube 29 which is carried by a selector 30 and functions to secure the ylatter and a combined agitator and cut-olf 311 together so that they may be rotated as a unit.

The selector 30 is formed with a single outlet port 32 which is of substantially the same diameter as any one of the passageways or chambers 23 and is capable of being brought into register with these passageways one at a time. This is accomplished by rotating the selector and to facilitate such rotation manually I have provided at the margin of the disk portion 33 an annular ange 33s which facilitates gripping of the selector. Preferably the major portion of this flange 33a extends above Vthe selector proper and internally is provided with an inclined peripheral sealing surface 34 designed for snug Contact with a similarly formed surface 35 on the annular rib 19 of the closure cap. Incident to tightly threading the closure cap upon the receptacle, the rib and ange will cooperate in effectively sealing the receptacle. It is also apparent that since the selector is formed with one outlet port only, all capsules dispensed must make their exit through this port and only when it is in register with a capsule containing chamber is it possible to dispense such capsule.

At the inner end of the magazine, the previously mentioned combined agitator cut-off 311 is so positioned in relation to the selector 30 that it always functions to close the inlet end 24 of that passageway or chamber 23 whose outer or discharge end is in register with the outlet port 32 in the selector. Further, this agitator and cutoff is of such area that in addition to closing the passageway from which a capsule is about to be, or, in any event, can be dispensed, it also partially covers the inlet end of the other two passageways or chambers so that any capsules that have entered them from the receptacle proper will remain therein for later dispensing. This agitator and cut-off is a flat semi-circular plate of a total area somewhat in excess of 50% of that of the adjacent end of the magazine 20. It has a beveled straight edge 35 with the beveled surface 37 facing the interior of the receptacle 10. This beveled edge obviously facilitates the delivery of capsules to the several passageways or chambers and minimizes the likelihood of breaking or otherwise damaging the capsules incident to agitation and feeding to the chambers. Adjacent the beveled ed-ge, the agitator is formed with an opening 38 which snugly receives the extended lower end of the connector tube 29, such agitator being held by friction or otherwise against rotation relative to the tube 29 and against axial displacement by a flange 39.

In operation, it is believed to be apparent that capsules C enter the passageways or chambers 23 one at a time by gravity incident to inverting the receptacle 10` and positioning the agitator 31 so that the inlet opening 24 to one of the passageways is entirely unobstructed. In such position, the selector 30 is so oriented relative to the magazine that the outlet port 32 is out of register with all of the passageways. When it is desired to dispense a capsule, the selector 30 will be positioned as shown in FIG. 1 and simultaneously therewith the agitator and cut-01T 31 will close the inlet end of the chamber from which the capsule C is to be dispensed. With inversion of the receptacle and assuming, of course, that the closure cap 17 has been removed, the capsule will fall freely through the outlet port by gravity. As mentioned previously, the interengaging surfaces of the depending rib `19 and the ange 33a on the selector effectively seal the package.

Modifications may be resorted to within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A capsule dispenser compris-ing a receptacle having a wall dening neck opening, said wall formed with a continuous rim at ne end, a magazine frictionally secured within the neck opening and having an annular series of elongated passageways arranged about and each having its axis extending in a direction generally parallel to that of the neck opening, each passageway having axially opposed inlet and discharge openings, a rotatable selector disk formed with a single outlet port adapted for register with the discharge openings one at a time, a combined agitator and cut-01T at the inlet end of said passageways, said agitator connected to and rotatable with the selector disk and being of such area and circumferential extent as to simultaneously close the inlet end of one passageway when the latter is in register with said outlet port and cover a substantial part of the inlet end of both remaining passageways, whereby to retain a capsule in each of the latter during dispensing of a capsule from said one passageway, the combined agitator and cut-off being a at generally semi-circular plate having a beveled Istraight edge and positioned with a curved peripheral portion substantially in register with a segment of the periphery of the magazine.

2. A dispenser as dened in claim 1, the selector disk having a peripheral flange coaxial therewith, said ange being shaped interiorly for sealing contact with a receptacle closure cap and exteriorly carrying means facilitating manual grasping and rotation thereof.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 928,052 Hirsh July 13, 1909 1,189,451 Hyatt July 4, 1916 1,685,147 Case Sept. 25, 1928 2,211,452 Bowman Aug. 13, 1940 2,250,968 Riendeau July 29, 1941 2,342,482 Ohlinger Feb. 22, 1944 2,385,677 Bailey Sept. 25, 1945 2,815,154 Smith Dec. 3, 1957 2,818,204 Henchert et al Dec. 31, 1957 2,877,937 Weir Mar. 17, 1959 2,886,209 Lermer May 12, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 111,561 Sweden Aug. 22, 1944 

